Three-faced doll with phonograph



NOV. 10, 1970 GLASS ETAL THREE-FACED DOLL WITH PHONOGRAPH 2 Shee ts-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 8, 1968 INVENTORS MAAW/VZGLASS BY auro/vcr MEYER ATTOIRNEY 9 17 Nov. 10, 1970' M; I, GLASS ET AL 3,538,638

THREE-FACED DOL L WITH PHONOGRAPH Filed Feb. 8; 1968 z Sheets-Sheet 2 9O H6 INVENTORS MAAV/A z 64455 94 BY a1 f 5 BA/RTOA/CEMEVEE.

United States Patent O 3,538,638 THREE-FACED DOLL WITH PHONOGRAPH Marvin I. Glass and Burton C. Meyer, Chicago, 11]., as-

signors to Marvin Glass & Associates, Chicago, 111., a partnership Filed Feb. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 703,961 Int. Cl. A63h 3/12, 3/28 US. Cl. 46-232 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention belongs to that class of dolls in which a phonograph mechanism within the doll produces sounds. Such dolls are often quite realistic, and in the present instance the realism is enhanced by making possible a change of expression for the doll together with an appropriate change in the sound produced by rotating the head of the doll.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A phonograph device comprising a turntable mounted for rotation and axial movement, a sound track on each of the opposite sides of the turntable, a sound reproducer including a stylus positioned adjacent each of said sides of the turntable, and drive means for the turntable including a rotatable shaft in frictional engagement with the turntable and a reversible motor connected with the shaft, said shaft being disposed relative to the turntable so that rotation of the shaft in one direction causes axial movement of the turntable into a position of contact with one of the said styli and rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction causes axial movement of the turntable into a position of contact with the other stylus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a doll embodying the invention, with portions broken away to expose the encased mechanism within the doll;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross section substantially on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross section substantially in the line 3-3 of FIG. 2, with parts broken away;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail of certain repeat mechanism indicated in FIG. 3;

-FIG. 5 is an enlarged horizontal cross section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3, with parts removed;

FIG. 6 is a horizontal cross section on the line 6-6 of of FIG 3, with parts removed;

FIG. 7 is a cross section on the line 7-7 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a cross section on the line 8--8 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross section on the line 99 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As seen in FIG. 1, the doll has a head portion 10 and a casing portion 12 attached thereto, the latter containing 3,538,638 Patented Nov. 10, 1970 the sound producing mechanism and being itself contained in a suitable doll body portion 14 so as to be concealed and protected htereby. Head portion 10 comprises an external hood 16, preferably of cloth and having a natural looking front opening 18 through which is visible one of the several faces 20 of a rotatable inner head portion 22. As is apparent, face 20 simulates that of a small child who is asleep, and inner head portion 22 also has a face portion 24 (FIG. 3) which is hidden within hood 16 and which presents a crying expression. In like manner a third face (not shown) having a laughing expression is simulated on inner head 22, and any one of these faces may be brought into registration with opening 18 by the manual rotating of inner head portion 22. Such rotation is accomplished by suitable means, such as by turning a knob 26 which may be made to appear to be a button on the top of hood 16. Button 26 has a stem 28 extending downwardly, as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, through an opening 30 in hood 16 and is fixed to inner head portion 22, means being provided to yieldably retain head portion 22 in position with any one of the respective faces squarely in registration with opening 18.

vHood 16 is connected in any suitable manner with a tubular neck portion 32 extending upwardly from casing 12. Neck portion 32 includes an upper Wall portion 34, which will be further described, and an upstanding rim 36 against which is rotatably supported a combination switching and detent plate 38. Plate 38 has a downwardly directed detent lug 40, which is shown in one position seated in a notch 42 in rim 36 wherein face 20 is properly registered in opening 18. Additional detents 44 and 46, best seen in FIG. 5, are provided about the periphery of plate 38 to engage two additional notches in rim 36 at the time lug engages notch 42, the disclosed embodiment having three notches spaced at 120 thereby giving the plate three retained positions corresponding to the three faces on inner head portion 22. Plate 38 has three upstanding pins 48 extending through suitably spaced openings 50 in the lower portion of inner head 22, Whereby head 22 and plate 38 is rotatively coupled to each other. In this way plate 38 is caused to rotate whenever head 22 is turned, and engagement of detents 40, 44 and 46 with notches 42 yieldably retains head 22 with one or another of its faces properly in register with opening '18 in hood 16. Plate 38 is yieldingly pressed downwardly by a spring 52 disposed about a shaft portion 54 fixed on wall 34 and extending upwardly through plate 38. Spring '52 presses upwardly against a head 56 within the lower portion of inner head 22 and downwardly against plate 38. Turning of inner head 22 [by means of button 26 will cause rotation of plate 38 through pins 48, thus causing detents 40, 44 and 46 to be forced out of their notches, raising plate 38 and compressing spring 52. When sufficient rotation has been accomplished, the detents will be forced into the notches by the pressure of spring 52 and offer resistant to inadvertent further rotation. The phonograph mechanism within casing 12 is run by an electric motor which is reversible and plate 38 is arranged to control the current input to the motor.

With reference particularly to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the phonograph mechanism includes a battery 58 connected in suitable manner with battery wires 60 and 62 which lead upwardly to the region beneath wall portion 34 in the neck of the doll. Wire 60 is electrically connected with a metallic contact or stud 64 .(see also FIG. 6) fixed in wall portion 34 and projecting upwardly into contact with switching plate 38, the parts being proportioned so as to insure such contact under the influence of spring 52 whenever detents 40, 44 and 46 are seated in the notches in rim 36. Wire 62 connects with a similar contact 66, it being understood that wall 34 and switching plate 38 are preferably made of plastic or similar nonconductive material.

Switching plate 38 has metallic conductive segments 68 and 70 (FIG. fixed on its under side, preferably arcuate in form, which are insulated from each other and in position to contact respectively with battery studs 64 and 66 when plate 38 is in either of two active positions and detents 40, 44 and 46 are seated in the notches in rim 36. Other contact studs 72 and 74 are fixed in wall portion 34 in position to be contacted by segments 68 and 70 in one position of plate 38 when in contact with battery studs 64 and 66. In this way battery stud 64 is electrically connected with stud 72, while battery stud 66 is connected with stud 74. In another rotated position of plate 38, segments 68 and 70 will contact in similar manner studs 76 and 78 together with battery studs 64 and 66. Studs 72 and 78 are connected electrically with each other by a conductor or strip 80, while studs 74 and 76 are connected to each other by a conductor or strip 82, and a motor wire 84 connected 'with stud 76, and accordingly with strip 82 and stud 74, leads to a motor 86 supported in the lower portion of casing 12. As previously indicated, the motor is of the type which will reverse its direction of rotation upon reversal of the polarity of the input current. A motor wire 88 is connected to stud 78, and through strip 80 with stud 72, and wire 88 also leads to motor 86 to complete an electrical circuit thereto. It will now be apparent that in one position of segments 68 and 70, the latter will connect wire 60, through studs 64 and '72, with motor wire 88 leading to motor 86. The return lead is then motor wire 84, which is connected with negative battery wire 62 through stud 76, strip 82, stud 74, segment 70, and battery stud 66. Wire 88 therefore becomes the positive lead to the motor under these conditions and drives the motor in a predetermined direction. If switch plate 38 is turned, so that segments 68 and 70 connect with studs 76 and 78 while in contact with battery studs 64 and 66 respectively, stud 76 and motor wire 84 become the positive lead to motor 86, lead 88 becoming negative 'by reason of the connection of studs 66 and 78 by segment 70. The polarity is therefore reversed and the motor runs in the opposite direction.

It is to be noted that, in the position of the parts shown, segments 68 and 70 do not contact battery studs 64 and 66, and consequently the circuit is open and the motor does not run. This position of switching plate 38 corresponds to that of inner head 22 wherein the sleeping face is exposed in opening 18.

As stated, motor 86 drives a phonograph mechanism which produces either a laughing or a crying sound. The phonograph mechanism is mechanical in character and comprises a disk or record element 90 having a sound groove engraved on each side thereof and being slidably journaled on a shaft 92, which is supported horizontally between plates 94 and 96 extending vertically within casing 12 to a point a substantial distance above and to one side of shaft 92. A pivot pin 98, best seen in FIG. 3, is mounted between the upper ends of plates 94, 96 and swingably supports a pair of spaced tone arms 100 and 102 which extend along the opposite faces of record disk 90 in the generally tangential relation common in disk type sound reproducing apparatus. Tone arm 100 (FIG. 9) has a stylus 104 connected mechanically with an acoustical speaker cone 106, while tone arm 102 has a stylus 108 connected in similar manner with a speaker cone 110. Being relatively small, the cones 106 and 110 are supported from and swing with tone arms 100 and 102. Tone arms 100 and 102 swing in fixed planes determined by pivot pin 98, styli 104 and 108 being disposed on opposite sides of record disk 90. In operation the disk 90 is shifted along shaft 92 so as to bring one side or the other into contact with one of the styli in accordance with the type of sound to be produced, one side of the record being grooved to produce a crying sound while the other side is grooved to produce a laughing sound, and such shifting is brought about by a reversal in the direction of rotation of the motor as will appear.

.Record disk is driven from its periphery by means of a shaft 112 driven by and preferably constituting part of motor 86, best shown in FIG. 7, motor 86 being carried in a yoke 114 having a substantially rigid arm 116 supported at one end in plate 94 and extending through a slot 118 in plate 96. A leaf spring 120, engaged in a slot 122 in arm 116 and reacting against the floor 124 of casing 12, acts against arm 116 in a direction to swing yoke 114 upwardly and press roller 112 against the edge of record disk 90.

Shaft 112 is inclined a small amount from a right angle relation to disk 90 (FIG. 7), so as to produce a force in the direction of the axis of disk 90 so that rotation in one direction will shift disk 90 laterally into contact with stylus 104, while rotation in the other direction will shift the disk into contact with stylus 108. Thus a laughing or a crying sound will be produced selectively in accordance with the direction of rotation of motor 86 and its shaft 112. As will be appreciated, the sound produced will be determined by the position of switching plate 38, and leads 84 and 88 will be connected to motor 86 to cause it to rotate in such direction that the laughing sound will correspond with the exposure of the laughing face in opening 18, while the crying sound will be produced upon the exposure of the crying face. When the sleeping face is exposed in opening 18 no contact is made between battery wires 60 and 62 and motor wires 84 and 88 as hereinbefore described and no sound is produced.

The grooves in record disk 90 are spiral and it is necessary to return the tone arms to the beginning of the grooves each time they reach the inner end of the spiral. In order to provide for repeat of the recorded sound, there is provided a finger 126 (FIG. 4) which is pivated on a pin 128 fixed on the face of disk 90 a relatively short distance from the center shaft 92 and finger 126 extends generally in the direction of rotation of the disk. Finger 126 has a notch 130 at its leading or free end, which is remote from pin 128 and spaced a somewhat greater distance from shaft 92 than pin 128. In this respect, finger 126 is normally biased against a stop 132 on disk 90. During the playing of the record, finger 126 is carried around bodily by the rotation of disk 90 and is yieldably fixed in position relative to stop 132, 'by means of a light spring 136 connected as by 2! lug 138 to finger 126 and bearing against shaft 92. When tone arm approaches the lower position in FIG. 8 corresponding to the inner end of the groove on the face of disk 90, a cam lug 140 adjacent the stylus or needle (FIG. 9) is brought into the path of notch and engaged by the end of finger 126. As notch 130 engages the sloping surface 142 on lug it raises the stylus from the record or disk 90 and continued rotation of disk 90 causes finger 126 to swing outwardly of the disk, as shown in dotted line in FIG. 4, and release the stylus and tone arm at the starting point of the record groove. At this point stylus 104 will have moved upwardly beyond the path of notch 130, whereupon finger 126 will escape from its engagament with stylus 104, and will #be quickly returned to its idle position, under the pressure of spring 136, to a position in engagament with stop 132 to await the next completion of the playing of the record groove. A similar finger 144 is pivoted in an analogous manner on the other side of disc 90 to engage tone arm 102 in a similar manner, the only difference being due to the fact that disk 90 rotates in the opposite direction when the other side is being played. A lug 146 has a cam surface 148 which cooperates with finger 144 in a manner similar to that described in connection with finger '126. It is to be noted that tone arms 100 and 102 are connected by a hub 150 so that they move together,

However, it is to be remembered that when one tone arm is active the other is idle and has its stylus removed from contact with record disk 90 so that it is not necessary for tone arms 100 and 102 to be independent.

A resonator tube 152 projects from casing 12 and has a perforated front wall 154 through which the sound of speaker cones 106 and 110 may be heard, and tube 152 serves to conduct the sound through the body portion 14 of the doll so that there will be a minimum of soft material or clothing over the openings to muffle the sound.

The operation of the doll is thought to be clear from the foregoing, but in summary, it is to be noted that the mood of the doll can be changed by turning the simulated button 26 to bring the desired face into view in opening 18. Such rotation rotates inner head 22 and, through pins 48, switching plate 38. The latter, through detents 40, 44 and 46, locks the head accurately in position with one of the faces registered with opening 18. If the face is the sleeping face, switching plate 38 opens the circuit between battery 58 and motor 86, but if it is the laughing face, plate 38 closes a circuit to run motor 86 in a predetermined direction. Rotation of the motor causes shaft 112 to rotate disk 90 and to shift it axially to bring the groove having the laughing sound into contact with one of the styli 104 and 108 whereupon the doll will appear to laugh. If the face exposed is the crying face, switching plate 38 will establish a circuit to run motor 86 in the other direction, whereupon it will rotate disk 90 also in the other direction and shift it axially in the other direction to bring the crying groove into contact with the other stylus so that this time a crying sound will be produced.

It is apparent that tone arms 100 and 102 are free to swing and may take up any position as the doll is laid down, picked up, rocked, etc., so that it is uncertain, when the motor 86 starts, at what point in the record the sound will start. Regardless of the point at which the sound starts, the fingers 126 and 144 will return whichever tone arm and stylus is operating to the beginning of the particular recording whenever the end of the recorded sound is reached.

Although this invention has been described in connection with certain features, structure, and material in a specific embodiment, it will be apparent that modifications may be made without departing from the principles of this invention.

What is claimed is:

'1. A doll comprising a body portion, a head including a plurality of face portions with different expressions, a covering for said head provided with an opening for exposing only one face portion at a time to view, a phonograph device mounted within the doll body and including a frame structure, a turntable mounted on said frame for rotation and for axial movement, a sound recording groove on each of the opposite sides of said turntable with each recording groove having sounds compatible with the expression on a different one of said face portions, sound reproducing means comprising a pair of styli movably supported on said frame in positions for movement through the paths of said sound recording grooves, respectively, an acoustical amplifying cone operatively associated with each of said styli, drive means for said turntable including a reversible electric motor having its shaft engaging the edge of said turntable in a manner such that rotation of the shaft in one direction urges the turntable to a position of engagement with one of said styli and rotation in the opposite direction urges said turntable to a position of engagement with the other of said styli, a battery in said doll body, an electrical circuit providing for the flow of current between said battery and said motor, means mounting said head on said frame structure for rotation relative thereto so as to sequentially expose each of said faces to view through the opening in said head covering, and switch means in said electrical circuit including cooperable portions fixed to said head and to said frame structure, respectively, whereby movement of said head is effective to control the flow of current to said motor and provide a sound compatible with the expression of the face portion exposed to view through said cover opening.

2. A doll comprising a [body portion, a head mounted on said body for rotation relative thereto about the longitudinal axis of the doll, a hood fixed to said body in partially covering relation to said head, said hood including an opening at the front of said head, said head including a plurality of face portions spaced circumferentially about the head in position to be sequentially exposed to view through said hood opening when said head is rotated, only one face portion being exposed at a time, each of said face portions portraying a different facial expression for the doll, a sound producing device within said doll body which is operable to produce a plurality of different sounds, and means for controlling the operation of said sound producing device including means responsive to the turning of said head, whereby the sound produced is compatible with the expression of the face portion exposed to view through said hood opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,727,645 9/1929 Hoofnagle. 2,208,219 7/194-0 Maibaum 46135 X 2,669,802 2/ 1954 Olivier 46-135 3,287,020 11/1966 Beebe 46--232 FOREIGN PATENTS L 930,940 7/1963 Great Britain.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner ROBERT F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner U.S.Cl.X.R. 

